Exhibition on the end of the East Lincs line

An exhibition marking 45 years since Boston lost its railway link to Grimsby is chugging along nicely according to organisers.

The event, entitled ‘The East Lincolnshire Railway... 45 years on’, which will be held at the Alford Manor House Museum, on the town’s West Street, will run from 11am on Monday, October 5, until Friday, October 30.

It will mark the controversial closure of the East Lincolnshire Railway from Grimsby to Peterborough on October 5, 1970.

It resulted in the loss of stations such as Midville, Stickney, New Bolingbroke and Coningsby.

Mike Fowler, a former Spilsby resident, is organising the display and in January put out a request for memorabilia.

He has since been contacted by collectors and tracked down items including newspaper clippings and film.

He said: “These newspaper items are of considerable historical interest in documenting the decline of the line and I’m sure the visitors to the exhibition will find them fascinating.”

The Lincolnshire Standard campaigned to keep the line from the first public meeting in Skegness, through a number of protests, to the running of the very last train to King’s Cross on October 4, 1970.

Mike said: “I spent an idle childhood on Spilsby and Firsby stations and cut out any features in the Standard that related to the railway. The earliest goes back to a 1964 report of the lifting of the Boston to Woodhall Junction line.”

Mike told the Standard that it was amazing how these had survived 50 years, several house moves and changing interests from childhood to adulthood.

Alford museum will be open every day, except Saturday, October 10, for the first week and then on normal opening days for the remainder of the time. Normal admission charges apply.

On opening evening, Mike will be giving a presentation entitled ‘The Origins, Development and Decline of the East Lincolnshire Railway’ and will be present to guide visitors around the exhibition on a number of days during the month.